OLD TIME NEWS - Foaotmad

The
FRIENDS
OF AMERICAN OLDTIME MUSIC AND DANCE
THE ONLY UK PUBLICATION DEDICATED TO AMERICAN OLD TIME MUSIC AND DANCE NO 45 SPRING 2006
News
IN THIS ISSUE...
New friends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Temporary Editor’s
Apologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
The AGM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Events & Tours . . . . . . . .4
Gainsborough . . . . . . . . . .5
Letter from
Colm Daly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Chairman Ray . . . . . . . . . .7
Minstrel Banjo
Period Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . .8
Jenny Pope Appeal . . .9
Members Ads . . . . . . . . . .10
Derrol Adams
DVD Review . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Sewerby Weekend . . .12

2 Old Time News Spring Issue 45
Number
New Friends
Name & Location
723 John Bennett
Sarnau, Powys
724 Neil Parkin
Thurso, Caithness
725 Eleanor Barnett
Watford, Herts
726 Charlie Worvill
Stony Stratford,
Northants
727 Gerry Bolton
Stony Stratford,
Northants
728 Alan Shrimpton
Thetford, Norfolk
729 Patrick Francis
Hayling Island, Hants
730 Stephanie Francis
Hayling Island, Hants
731 J Ashurst-Davison
Nuneaton, Warks
732 Jennifer Clifton
Nottingham
733 Tom Sauber
Arcadia CA
Temporary Editor’s Apologies
I must apologise on behalf of
the previous temporary editor,
currently in hiding, for saying
that Anita Kermode used to
edit this esteemed journal. He
should of course have been
referring to Fiona Cameron,
who now gets the undying
thanks of the magazine and its
faithful readership.
Here’s another apology, for the amount
of Foaotmad politics in the current
magazine, which seems to have taken the
place of stuff you really want to read.
For instance Colm Daly’s letter has
displaced an article called “Old Time
Joanna” by somebody or other, now
who was it? Maybe we’ll get back to
Old Time in the next issue, when Colin
Meadows takes over as temporary
editor, we didn’t elect a real one at the
AGM, which means that your
Temporary Editors are stuck with the
job for a while longer. If you fancy
having a bash in the future, Colin will be
able to let you know how much fun it
was after he’s finished. If he’ll still be
capable of communicating with the
outside world, that is.
Ray Banks
THE OLD TIME NEWS
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or on paper.
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This Issue Edited by Ray Banks
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Tom Sauber
of ‘Tom, Brad and Alice’
Debby McClatchy
on tour with the Gathering

Old Time News Spring Issue 45 3
CHEWING the fat...
Obituary:
Dr. Charles K. Wolfe
(August 14th, 1943 -
February 9th, 2006).
Professor of English at
Middle Tennessee
State University, Charles Wolfe is well
known to fans of Old Time music as
the author of hundreds of articles on
music, folklore and popular culture and
over a dozen books on American
music, including The Life And Legend
of Leadbelly (with Kip Lornell) and
The Devil’s Box, an excellent
overview of the Southern fiddling
tradition, covering the golden age from
the 20s to the 50s, with lively portraits
of the main protagonists, such as Eck
Robertson, Uncle Jimmy
Thompson, Clayton McMichen and
Bob Wills. It was described by the Old
Time Herald as “a nice table-top
reference about the cream of old-time
fiddling”.
Dwight Diller Benefit
A benefit concert for Dwight Diller
will hopefully have been held on March
25th in Charleston, West Virginia ,
hosted by John Morris and featuring
Doug Van Gundy, David O’Dell,
Reed Island Rounders and many
other excellent local musicians who are
friends of Dwight. His car accident on
October 29th put him in hospital for
seven weeks, and he currently has
difficulty teaching and performing. It is
hoped that Dwight will be well and fully
recovered in time for the next
Gainsborough workshops in October
this year, without which many of our
banjo players would go into shock.
Donations can be made on-line at
yewpinect.org/donation.html.
Hip Hurray!
Lifetime member Brenda Johnson
whom many members will have seen in
February doing a superb job with the
food at the Gainsborough Festival has
since received a new hip joint. She is
making a good recovery, and the society
wishes her the very best of outcomes,
but tearing about on the back of Keith’s
Harley-Davidson is apparently not on,
for which we sympathise (not that we’d
want to do it!).
Some communications:
from Alec Somerville (Canadian
exile…)
Interesting to read your article on the
late Don Messer - although he was a
‘commercial’ fiddler and bandleader, he
did much to keep alive the old-time
fiddle music of Nova Scotia,
Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island,
New Brunswick and Quebec in Canada
and border states such as Vermont in
the USA. All this, of course, including
Scots-Irish ands Quebec fiddle stuff -
also found in our more familiar oldtimey
repertoires of Appalachian;
Ozark and Deep South fiddlers.
Messer was
essentially a
‘showman’ and
his ‘star turn’ was
a fiddler named
‘King’ Ganam.
King was a tall,
saturnine chap
with extremely
well-groomed
hair, a pencil-thin moustache and the
kind of clothing usually worn by
Mississippi riverboat gamblers. In fact,
that’s what he looked like - but could he
play! Messer was always careful to keep
King in reserve, lest his perfect fiddling
take over the whole show! But in any
event, these people certainly
contributed to the preservation of
damned good music in areas of North
America where the climate is sometimes
described as ‘three months of Winter
and six months of hard sledding…’ Nice
to see an acknowledgement - Alec
Somerville (Canadian exile…)
From Colin Meadows
re the dreadful
Licensing Act
Our local radio station recently reported
on one perhaps unforeseen
consequence of this latest piece of legal
nonsense. Apparently an events licence
is required if three or more people are
dancing. If a venue does not have such a
licence they are liable to a fine of
squillions of squids and may even be
closed down. So, if you find yourself in a
pub that you don’t much like…
From Hugh O’Connor
Ripples Across Killington Duckpond
After the successful move of our picking
weekend to Killington Lake, we will be
running this again for the 6th consecutive
year. It will take place on 14th -16th July
2006, at Joe and Margaret
Fearnhead’s place. South Cumbria
continues to be a hive of Old Time
activity. Our Dance Team has been
renamed Legs Levens, after 10 years of
deliberation. (NB. These are non-sexist
legs and male dancers are most
welcome). We practice on the 1st, 3rd
and 5th Wednesdays at Levens Institute
from 8.00 - 10.00pm. Contact:
cloggingchris@aol.com During the
Autumn we danced with other local
dance sides in Kendal Market place, ran a
popular flatfooting workshop at Ingleton
Folk Festival and finished with a display
at the Kendal Brewery Arts Centre
Christmas Ceilidh.
Our Friday night old time session
continues at The Head at Middleton, on
the A683 between Kirkby Lonsdale and
Sedbergh. Runs from 9.00 - 12.00pm,
contact email as above.
In November we had a surprise visit
from Northern Harmony, a fantastic
ensemble of singers, musicians and
dancers from Vermont. They joined in
our session on Friday night, gave a choral
concert on Saturday, and hosted a shape
note singing and contra dance workshop
on Sunday in Dent Village Hall. They are
led by Larry Gordon and have two
great fiddlers, Naomi Morse and Emily
Miller. Emily, who tutors at the
Augusta Heritage Centre, was
amazed to hear a fourteen year old
English boy playing “just like a West
Virginia fiddler”. Kieran blamed Dave
Bing. They visit Europe every 18 months
and it would be great if we could get
them to appear at Gainsborough. Web
site is: northernharmony.pair.com
(Naomi and Emily are currently at York
University, and regularly appear in the
York sessions. Emily’s dad is ace New
England fiddler Rodney Miller - ed.)
I also play at a regular bluegrass/old time
session in Manchester on Tuesdays, and
one of the organisers Tom Degney, is
organising the Coastline Bluegrass
Festival in Bodafon Fields, Llandudno, N
Wales, on 9 - 11th June 2006.Tom wants
to have a significant Old Time presence
at this festival, so please support this
event. www.coastlinebluegrass.co.uk

4 Old Time News Spring Issue 45
EVENTS AND
TOURS 2006
BAYOU SECO
June
1st The Royal Oak Lewes
10th Westbury Village Hall, Forest of Dean
11th Gower Folk Festival
16th Cafe Loco, Newton
18th The Old wine Vaults, Holywell
22nd The Barn, Boston
24th Selby Arts Centre
29th The Square and Compass, Worth
Matravers
THE CROOKED JADES
JULY
5th
6th
7th
9th
11th
12th
14th
15th
19th
20th
22nd
23rd
The Borderline, London
The Musician, Leicester
Arts Guild Theatre, Greenock Inverclyde
The Arches, Glasgow
Kilbarchan Old Library, Renfrewshire
St Bride’s Centre, Edinburgh
Stornoway, Hebridean Celtic Festival
Stornoway, Hebridean Celtic Festival
Eastgate Theatre, Peebles
Jumpin Hot Club, The Cluny,
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
Brampton 'Live' Festival, Cumbria
Brampton 'Live' Festival, Cumbria
More dates to be added:
bloodygreatpr@aol.com
SARA GREY WITH KIERON MEANS
MAY
5th
6th
7th
8th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
17th
18th
19th
20th
21th
23th
24th
25th
26th
27th
28th
29th
Swindon Folk Club
Appalachian Ceilidh Belper
Horsham Folk Club
tbc Croydon Folk Club
The Anchor Folk Club, Byfleet,
The Grove Inn, Leeds
Wimborne Accoustic Folk Club
Walthamstow Folk Club
Devizes Folk Club
Baldock & Letchworth Folk Club
The Railway Folk Club
The Woodman Inn, Kingswinford
Exmouth Arms, Star Cross St, London
Shelbourne Hotel, Southport
The Guildford Institute
Blackpool Folk Club
Royal Oak, Lewes
Bridport Arts Centre
Elsie's Folk Club, Reigate
Smugglers Inn, St.Erth, St Ives
Colchester Arts Centre
SARA GREY SOLO
June
23rd-25th Dent Folk Festival 01524 582803
DEBBY MCCLATCHY
August
25th-27th Wadebridge Folk Festival
THE CROOKED ROAD TOUR
Laura Boosinger, Ginny Hawker, Tracy Schwartz
NO SPEED LIMIT
Anderson and Strickland
MAY
12th
13th
14th
16th
17th
18th
19th
20th
21st
Rothes Halls, Glenrothes
Birnam Institute, Perthshire
St Bride’s Centre, Edinburgh
Greenock Arts Guild.
tbc (probably the borders)
Magnum Theatre, Irvine, Ayrshire
tbc (probably Dumfries-shire)
Brookfield Village Hall, Renfrewshire
3pm Strachur Memorial Hall, Argyll
evening Tron Theatre, Glasgow
FOAOTMAD CAMPS
April 27th-May 3rd Sewerby Hall May Day Camp
May 27th-29th Sacrewell Spring Camp
Aug11th-20th Sacrewell Summer Camp
FOAOTMAD SUPPORTED
FESTS/CAMPS
June 2nd-4th “Not Stanchester”
July 7th-9th Howard Morton’s, Rocombe
July 14th-16th Killington Lake, Cumbria
Sept 8th-10th Sweet Sunny South, Hastings
BLUEGRASS FESTIVALS WITH
O/T SESSIONS
May 5th-7th Telfest, Holt Fleet, Worcs
June 9th-11th Coastal Bluegrass, Llandudno
July 7th-9th North Wales Bluegrass, Conwy
July 21st-23rd Yorkshire Dales, nr Silsden
Sept 1st-3rd “Didmarton” at
SESSIONS
CORNWALL
Bodmin: 2nd Thu. Tony Taylor 01208 872252
Lostwithiel: The Globe Inn - 3rd Thu,
Bluegrass/Old Time. Tony Taylor 01208-844691
Paul, nr Mousehole: Kings Arms - Tue.
John Watson 01736 731931.
CUMBRIA
Middleton-in-Lonsdale: Fri. - The Head.
Old-Time (dancers welcome)
Hugh Connor 01539 560534
DERBYSHIRE
Bakewell: Thu. – Manners Hotel.
Mac Battersby 01433 621106
Earl Sterndale: Sun. lunch - The Quiet Woman.
Old Time etc. 0129 883211
DEVON
Ashburton: alt Thu. - The Victoria.
Bluegrass/Old Time.
Phil Brimilcombe 01364-652725
South Molton: 2nd Wed. - George Hotel: oldtime/USA
roots.
Marianne and Martin Lucas 01237 472083.
Teignmouth: 1st Thu. - Devon Arms: USA
roots. Bob Matthews 01626 352007
EAST SUSSEX
Lewes: 2nd Wed. - Black Horse. Old-Time
Michi Mathias 01273 471431
Bodle Street: Fortnightly Mon. - The White
Horse. Mainly Old-Time 01323-833243
KENT
Rainham: 1st & 3rd Wed. - Oast Community
Centre: Old-Time/Bluegrass. Graham Anstee
01634 260281
Tunbridge Wells: Last Wed. - Beacon Hotel
Bluegrass/Old-Time. Rick Townend 01892 782412
LANCASHIRE
Halton: Tue. - White Lion. Bluegrass/Old-Time
Mark Curry 011524-812295
Mossley: Tue. - Rising Sun: old-time with Rank
Strangers. Dave Pope 01457 837166
LONDON
Islington: Sun. - Harlequin, Old Time
Frank Weston 020-8552-8308
Offord Road: Mon.- Hemingford Arms,
Casper Cronk, 020-8340-4683
OXFORDSHIRE
Oxford: last Thu. - Fox & Hounds, Weirs Lane
bluegrass/old-time. Taube Marks 01865 283360
Wallingford: 2nd Tue. - Cross Keys:
bluegrass/old-time. Taube Marks 01865 283360
REDCAR AND CLEVELAND
Saltburn-by-Sea: Wed. - Spa Hotel: open mike
£1 cover. Stan Gee 01642 478859
SOMERSET
Bath: Tue. - Green Park Tavern £2 cover
acoustic open performance 01225 400050
Bridgewater: 4th Wed - Knowle Inn,
Bawdrip. Drew Simcox 01278 684809 and
07774 968455
Taunton: Thu. - The Rose. Derek Parsons
01823 442713
SURREY
Ewshot: 1st Fri. - 01276 609954
WORCESTERSHIRE
Kington: monthly - The Royal Oak. Jim Allen
01568 750546
Tenbury: 2nd Fri. - St. Michael’s Village Hall.
Jim Allen 01568 750546
YORKSHIRE
Ripponden: last Tue. - Royal Hotel, Rishworth:
Ryburn 3 Step Folk Club. Pete Coe 01422
822569
Sheffield: 3rd Mon. - Kelham Island Tavern.
Dave Young 0114 2330596
Harrogate: Sat. & Alt Fri. - Knox Arms
Roger Knowles 01423 562540
Hebden Bridge: Wed. - Fox & Goose.
Clive Green 01706 814682
York: Sun. - Golden Ball. Tue. - The Maltings
Both - Mike Tavenar 01904 798738

Old Time News Spring Issue 45 5
GAINSBOROUGH THOUGHTS...
...and a few snaps
Ray Banks:
Thanks to Nick Stillman for standing in for Rafe
Stefanini with the Rockinghams – the fiddle/banjo duet
he did with John Herrmann was one of the best things I
heard all weekend..
Slow Down Boys
Lucy Ray
.…I was quite miserable in Gainsborough as even sleeping
indoors I was freezing….I found it very difficult to play in
sessions….The workshops were great and Carl and Beverly
(and Rough Deal) seem to be part of the family.…I would
like to suggest that the stage be offered to our member's
bands and then to other members that would like to perform
(as …at Sweet Sunny South)....could we not bring Carl Jones
for mandolin workshops?....Maybe Carl and Beverly in
mandolin and guitar….
Nick Stillman - Saving the day is so tiring
Graham Ellaby:
Thanks to FOAOTMAD for helping me organise the
duet filming and for the use of the room in which it took
place. I would also like to thank all of those of you who
gave your time and talents to play for the film and
participate as audience - I'm sure those of you who
watched found it lovely to just experience such talented
duets away from the hubbub of the excellent sessions
downstairs - Like an oasis of Calm in a sea of sharks!
Thanks also goes to my old friend The School Bell!
Ruth Wint:
I’m a newcomertoOldTimemusicandhavereturnedtothe
fiddle after 17 years. I attendedtheeventatGainsborough
for the first time and it certainly won’t be my last time . Just
wanted to thank everyone who organised it ….huge amounts
of went into the event and I completelyenjoyedmyself.
I attendedthebeginnersfiddleworkshopsrunbyTimRogers
and these were so inspirational. I also gained so much by
watching ...listeningandtryingtojoininasbestI
could….how friendly and helpful everyone was ….what a
lovely group of people you have in the communityofOld
Time Music the UK…. the food was delicious, nutritious,
plenty and reasonable....thosecateringstaffneverstopped
the whole weekend. I intend to subscribetothemembership
and will of course….attend the next event...I will practice my
new bowing techniqueand enjoy my fiddle with a new
inspiration and enthusiasm for the Old Time Style.
John Les and Gill Williams
Buffalo Girls - "Who's sitting down on the job?"
Jennifer Clifton:
Thanks to all the people who were involved with the
organisation of Gainsborough last weekend It was the first
such event I'd ever been to and I thought it was fantastic.
The environment was so good to learn in and the classes
really made a difference. I hope to come to many more
events, so by now you should have received my
membership application in the post. I'd especially like to
thank Graham Ellaby for the time he took to give my friend
Ruth and me a lesson on Sunday morning, it was so nice of
him to do that.
(Extracts snipped from
longer emails - ed)
Next year we’ll offer an
‘open mike’ and hopefully a
warm gym - Chairman Ray
Photos Bill Claridge,
Margaret Hibbert, Ray Banks
John Herrmann -
"Like the hat?"

6 Old Time News Spring Issue 45
A letter from Colm Daly
(Membership No. 026)
As you know, I have been an active member of
FOAOTMAD since its foundation. I shared
origination and editorship of the Old Time News;
have been a committee member; originated
Sacrewell Online and been an enthusiastic
supporter of the camps. For the last ten years I
have been a consistent critic of FOAOTMAD’s
direction.
My position is that FOAOTMAD is not run for the
benefit of all of its members and that the emphasis on
promoting visiting American artists is at the expense of
neglecting the grassroots of old time music in this
country. Irrespective of these differences, I have
always endeavoured to keep the issues separate from
my personal associations and friendships with
everyone, and will continue to do so.
As one who is prepared to speak up, I have become
accustomed to being outnumbered in our committees
or at our AGMs. The views I support have been
dismissed without any proper engagement with them,
simply on the grounds that I was outnumbered by
those present.
I believe as an association, we have an obligation to
reach further out to all our fee-paying members and I
believe we fail to do this. The organization of the
AGM can and should be done in such a way as to
encourage broad grass roots participation. The timing,
location and time limits of our recent AGM could
scarcely have done more to achieve the opposite
effect.
A recent incident may serve to illustrate my concerns.
In the last few months FOAOTMAD members were in
contact with distinguished American musicians (The
Gathering) about to tour the country. The musicians
were amenable to the possibility of coming to join us
at our Pickin’ lunchtime session last Sunday in Reading.
The only openly dissenting voice to adding an extra 50
miles of motorway journey was that of our chairman
who was their driver.
As to whether the musicians changed their mind at the
last moment only an eyewitness can say, but I am left
with the strong belief that the musicians would have
received no encouragement from our chairman to join
our members in Reading for the afternoon. A golden
opportunity was thus missed to counter my persistent
criticism that the fee-paying silent majority are
ignored. Instead, it seemed to me to validate all I have
being saying.
I have spoken directly with our Chairman, and despite
disagreeing with the views I support, he has agreed to
allow me to have my say in the OTN.
To re-iterate to those who don’t know the views I
support, I would say a five year plan is needed to
achieve the following points whose aims are to shift
our focus more to the fee-paying many rather than the
few. I am putting forward the following four proposals
to be addressed by the whole membership through
FOAOTMAD’s mailing list and the OTN. I ask that those
in favour of a change in this direction be given the
opportunity to be heard, or in the absence of which
reply to me in writing or by email (see below for
details).
• That FOAOTMAD washes its hands of directly
promoting imported luminaries and performers, but
instead indirectly encourages private enterprises to
take up the slack with the expectation of better ticket
sales.
• That FOAOTMAD untangles itself from the
diversionary commitments of its own festival and
events to the disadvantage of the wider fee-paying
members who get little benefit from them. To explore
instead the opportunities of growth in local and
regional events that may offer better value for money
to our full membership and win new members, if not
win back disillusioned lost members.
• That the AGM be held annually at the Summer
Camp at Sacrewell Country Farm at a time that
ensures maximum attendance and with no restrictive
limit on it’s duration.
• That an extraordinary AGM be convened at the
forthcoming Spring Camp to elect or re-elect the
chairperson and committee composed solely of
befitting regional representatives doubling up on the
other necessary functions.
REMEMBER, DEAD BUMS IN SEATS
DON'T KEEP OLD TIME LIVE.
Colm Daly
184 Liverpool Road
Reading RG1 3PH
Email: colmdaly@ntlworld.com
Alternatively, call me on 0118 9677408
All Foaotmad or Old Time News Correspondence
relating to this issue must be sent by post only (not
email) to The Secretary, FOAOTMAD, c/o Ray Banks,
57 Auckland Road, Doncaster, DN2 4AF- ed.

Old Time News Spring Issue 45 7
Chairman Ray
Gainsborough Festival 2007
The dates for the 2007 Gainsborough festival will be 16 -18 February.
The artists to be booked will include the Orpheus Supertones, with
Walt Koken (fiddle and banjo), Clare Milliner (fiddle), Pete
Peterson (banjo) and Kellie Allen (guitar). It is intended to include an
‘open mike’ session during the weekend where musicians who are not
booked to perform can get up and show us all how good they are.
Cancelled Gig
As you may know, I drove for the Gathering tour (Debby
McClatchy with Tom, Brad and Alice) in February/March this year,
partly as a way of associating Foaotmad in people’s minds with high
quality music. I would like to apologise for the tour’s non-appearance
at the National Centre For Early Music, in York on March 8th. This
was due to the organisers cancelling the gig at the last minute, telling
the public it was due to sickness (not true). We were told on March
7th but the reasons are known only to the organisers.
Jen Pope
Many members will by now have heard of
the disaster that has befallen Foaotmad
member Dave Pope, of Mossley,
Manchester. His wife Jen disappeared in
Equador after emailing Dave on the 5th
of January, and her bank account was
drained to its overdraft limit over the
next few days. Dave and Jen’s friends Pat
Hetherington and Angie Taylor have
set up a fund to raise money to help Dave
and their son Stef to investigate the mystery to the best of their ability.
A collection was made at the Gainsborough festival during which
£252.43 was raised and banked in the fund. The committee has since
supplemented this with a Foaotmad donation of £250. Using the fund,
Dave and Stef have travelled to Equador, and we wish them well in
their quest. Elsewhere in the magazine is a letter of thanks from Pat
Hetherington, with details about the ongoing fund.
Work Permits
News from Mark Ringwood of Roots Around The World
The government apparently proposes to change the work permit
system for non-EU performers in future, to manage migration and
reduce abuse, and has advised certain people representing arts
organisations, including Mark Ringwood, about the plans.
In the near future (the next 3 years) work permits will be replaced by
visas, issued up to 3 months before the first UK date to artists with
enough accumulated points (based on history, financial status and
criminal record, artistic quality etc) and an approved sponsor (e.g.
Foaotmad, or a booking agent). The sponsor will apply to the Home
Office for a certificate to be used by the artist for a visa application at
an appointed office in their own country. Amateur Musicians/musicians
playing for free would still require a visa.
Iris scans and fingerprints will be introduced as part of the process.
Hopefully electronic methods will enable more rapid processing of
applications. Fees for the process will vary, based on the earning
power of the artist and the country of origin. Rich artists and countries
will subsidise poor ones (I suspect Rock and Roll bad, Old Time good
but U.S.A. bad, Africa good). Is the time approaching when you won’t
be able to just fly somewhere with your banjo for a pick?
Colm Daly’s Letter
Colm is a long time member of Foaotmad who
has contributed to the society; for example his
work on the Sacrewell Website which gives an
interactive connection between members. In
his letter in this issue Colm has made a
number of points, which I feel need some
replies.
1. We are accused of neglecting the “grassroots of old time
music in this country”. I assume Colm is referring to UK
musicians. Many more local musicians than Americans
played at the festival. I’m sure many members believe a
first class US contingent is vital to the best development of
Old Time in this country, and enjoyment of the festival.
2. The AGM takes place at the annual festival, which has
more members present at one time than any other
Foaotmad event - last year 104, nearly a third of the
current membership. The remaining 75 attendees were
potential members. Members without festival tickets are
fully entitled to attend the AGM. I believe the low turnout
reflects a satisfaction with how the committee are carrying
out their jobs. Having the AGM at a camp would
disenfranchise the many members who don’t camp.
3. If Colm is outnumbered in AGMs by those with contrary
opinions, this should tell him something about the nature of
democracy.
4. I am accused of being an “openly dissenting voice”, as a
driver, at the suggestion that the Gathering travel an extra
50 miles to attend Colm’s lunchtime picking session. The
Gathering made the decision with no input from me - my
opinion was not requested, and I did not dissent, openly or
otherwise. I did however tell Colm 3 days before his session
that the Gathering didn’t think they would be there.
5. Colm suggests that someone other than Foaotmad
promotes “imported luminaries and performers”. Very few
American old time bands and musicians make it to the
festival circuit. If we don’t do it, who will? See our 10th
anniversary CD as an example of the artists we’ve brought
to the UK, many for their first time.
6. Colm suggests that the membership gets little benefit from
the festival. This is the same man seen telling everyone at
Gainsborough what a great time he was having. Many more
people have told me how good the Festival was (see
Gainsborough Comments) than have adversely criticised it.
The only criticisms received have been to do with ambience
and this year’s low Gym temperature, not with performer
and programme selection.
7. Local and regional events initiated by members are
growing and proliferating with the help and support of
Foaotmad - Sweet Sunny South (Sussex), Howard Morton’s
Farm (Devon), “Not Stanchester” (Somerset), Killington
Lake (Cumbria), Sewerby Hall (East Yorkshire) and the
original Sacrewell Camps, despite the fact that we have a
festival.
8. Any proposed changes to the running of the society must
follow the requirements of the Constitution, which can be
found on the Website at www.foaotmad.org.uk

8 Old Time News Spring 2006 Issue 45
Minstrel Period Banjo a taster by Barry M. Murphy
Part 1:
The Instruments
Arecent phone call
from a new member
in the West Country
asking, ‘What is a
Minstrel banjo?’ made me
think that perhaps a
short, general article on
the subject might be of
interest to other
members as well.
I won’t delve into the origins of the
instrument, its African roots, or the music
that was the Minstrel Era’s precursor;
there are scholarly people around who
know far more than I do about that.
Rather, I’ll give an outline of what
happened when Northern Europeans in
the New World came face to face with a
gourd instrument to whose music they
were drawn and wanted to play. The
sound of the banjo must have come as
quite a shock; nothing like it had ever
been heard in the western world; we all
know just how exciting it is to hear
something for the very first time.
Native peoples with their different mindset
are very adept at accepting all the
variations nature throws up in natural
materials and working within those
parameters/restrictions. In contrast, and
characteristically, post-industrial revolution
Europeans seem to avoid, as far as
possible, the vagaries of raw, unprocessed
natural materials; avoiding the
unexpected, needing control. Gourds are
very raw, never the same twice over,
always needing individual attention and
not easy to produce banjo bodies from -
even for small production runs.
It seems likely that sifter rims could have
served as a good starting point for
instruments made by rural folk with the
use of only basic tools found around the
farm. These simple, everyday objects,
with their scarfed, overlapped join,
whether homemade or store bought,
would have been an obvious choice for a
shallow drum shell and would have been
available in a wide range of sizes. Certainly
later, throughout Appalachia, stories
abound of childhoods enriched by a first
banjo ‘made by Daddy from sifter rims,
cat hide and with screen wire strings’.
As with many gourd banjos, the skin on
these early, homemade banjos would
have been tacked to the wood rims, but
the limitations of this would soon have
become apparent in a very humid climate
where a loss of string height, as the skin
loosened, ensured that the bridge would
sink into its depths. My own gourd banjo,
even with a selection of bridges ranging
from 3/4” to 1 3/8ths”, proves unplayable
on days of particularly high humidity, with
the strings down, touching on the
fingerboard.
Inevitably the banjos made by one of the
first commercial makers, William
Esperance Boucher, a drum maker of
Baltimore Maryland in the late 1840’s, had
a facility to mechanically tighten the head.
He at first used six tightening hooks but
progressed to ten and more. Head
tightness tends to equate with volume
(and playability). Boucher, not alone, also
made banjos with double drumheads.
Whether or not the added skin, covering
the bottom of the body, was an attempt
to increase resonance, projection, or
simply to offer an available, handy drum
(that certainly would have been
appropriate to the music) is hard to
know.
The bottom skin of the Boucher banjo
displayed in the Smithsonian Institute
Museum’s division of musical instruments,
Washington D.C, is tensioned by hooks
that tension the top and bottom heads
simultaneously. Others of the period had
the bottom skin tacked on.
Likewise, scale length was far from
standardized. Open strings as long as an
almost unplayable 31 inches were around
in the early period but more usually only a
little longer than those with which we are
now familiar, 27-28 inches. It has been
suggested that the very long scale banjos
may have been tuned to an even lower
pitch than the tunings mentioned below.
The vast majority of western, hand-held,
plucked, stringed instruments - those that
had been around for centuries - were
fretted, whereas the banjo generally
remained fretless for another 30 or more
years - and this despite many other
improvements and innovations in its
construction. Later on, position markers
were occasionally inlaid into the
fingerboard as a guide.
It is interesting to ponder why the banjo
remained fretless when some of the
contempory tunes were relatively
difficult, needing the ‘7th and even the
tenth fret’ position and including, (for
instance in Frank Converses’ tutor of
1865), full, four-string chords. It wasn’t
because of an addiction to slides, as per
the early 20th century Round Peak
style, for ‘slides’ seem to be the least
common of all left hand work, as
indicated in the early tutors. Nor can one
imagine that the mid-Victorians
considered slides to be too ‘primitive,
too foreign’ for, surely, the whole banjo
sound in the early years was so totally
primitive and alien. That, no doubt, was a
big part of its appeal. Cyril Wickham,
the fountainhead of much banjo lore,
once suggested, during a visit, that the
instrument might possibly have remained
so as it allowed for an easy way to
change key to suit the voice.
How, you ask? Well I tried it; just scoot
the bridge up towards the nut, however
far you want, and hey presto you can get
a number of different keys and the nice
thing is the 5th string goes up with the
rest of them! Whereas with any
conventional use of a capo, you also need
a facility to capo the fifth string - which is
not always easy on a Minstrel banjo as
the fifth string very often comes directly
off the tuning peg without passing over
its own nut. When you do slide the
bridge into a new position one must
adjust to the new fingering positions, of
course. But, I’ve done it - it’s not that

Old Time News Spring Issue 45 9
hard, and is an interesting notion,
whatever. Looking through old pictures
from the period, the bridge is quite often
not in the position with which we are
familiar, so this may back up this theory.
The tutor books of the 1850’s generally
give a pitch that is two and a half notes
below that for a modern banjo. This
equates to the ‘modern’ open G tuning
being an open D tuning. This tuning was
known as high bass. An alternative, in fact
more usual tuning, was the low bass
tuning which, in its intervals, is the same as
‘modern classical’ banjo tuning: g C G B
D - but again being two and a half notes
lower - sounding a G chord when the
familiar C chord is fingered - though of
course an octave below the modern
banjo’s open G.
The head diameter on early banjos varied
greatly in this period and did so, in fact,
until quite late in the 19th century. From
then on variations in head diameter
generally were no more than 2 inches,
between 10 inches and 12 inches
excepting the Zither banjo, which was a
quite separate entity. In the long, Minstrel
period American and British banjos had
head diameters from as small as 7 inches
to a huge 17 inches (imagine keeping that
one tight). On this theme…Once, when
performing in a cold, wretchedly damp
upstairs room at a London pub, I sat with
a plugged in hair-dryer stuffed into the
back of my Minstrel banjo in readiness for
my own spot as Dave Arthur entertained
the audience with his solo performance.
Gradually, the Boucher’s bridge rose to
the occasion, in anticipation of my
performance. But it was so damp there
that I didn’t get all the way through
‘Gwine Ober De Mountain’ before things
had returned to their previous soggy, limp
state.
In the 1930’s Paramount offered, for their
tenor banjos, a dandy accessory, an
electric lamp fitting, fixed inside your
banjo on the perch pole offering a solution
to this hundred-year old problem; looked
good too! Most instruments of the early
period had drum shells much deeper than
those of the latter 1800’s and through to
the present day. This, along with the shells
being generally thin and single laminated,
added to the low, deep sound of these
early banjos. Thick, low tuned, gut strings
and large diameter heads that were none
too tight; all this would have contributed
to a sound as far away from a Vega Tubaphone
as you could get.
Part 2: The Music, will
appear in the next issue of
Old Time News
The Jenny Pope Appeal
Letter from Pat Hetherington 23/02/06
Dear Friends,
I am writing on behalf of Dave
Pope and his son Stefan and the
many, many friends who are fundraising
on their behalf locally to
thank you all for the contributions
you made at Gainsborough which
have been paid into the Jenny
Pope Appeal Fund. In the midst of
so much pain and distress both
Dave and Stef have said that one
of the things that has enabled
them both to cope in this
nightmare is the kindness and
support of friends and strangers,
especially of the music
community.
Jen’s return flight from Equador
was on the 20th February and we
all kept alight a hope that
miraculously she would appear,
but of course she did not. The
outlook is very bleak indeed now.
The British police expect to fly to
Equador imminently and Dave
and Stef are planning to fly out
soon after that. (They have - ed.)
Fund raising continues. A three
day event at a local pub raised
£5000 and other events are
planned. Local Musicians including
Dave and Stef have recorded a
OFF KEY
CD which is now available.
Angie Taylor and ‘Bonz’ Barnes
have produced hand made cards
with a musical theme which we
are also using to raise funds.
If any friends of Dave’s who have
shared his company, his music
and - most valuable of all - his
barbecue/fire would like to help
further we would be most
grateful.
If you can organise events, run a
raffle, take a collection or
contribute, the Jenny Pope
Appeal Fund is Lloyds TSB
account no 0151493, sort code
30-90-26. Please let me know if
you are able to do anything - we
want to keep a book of these
events for Dave and Stef.
Once again, thank you for your
generosity and support.
Pat Hetherington.
90 Cliffe Road
GLOSSOP
Derbyshire SK13 8NT
01457 868621
www.jennypopeappeal.org
John Hill
It was only when Patricia produced her dance
board that the landlord politely asked the
group to leave the pub.

DVD REVIEW
Derrol Adams
L’Homme Au Banjo
I Was Born In Portland Town
A DVD directed by Patrick Ferryn
As many of you know, Derrol Adams was a
wonderful singing banjo player. He had a deeply
charismatic voice and an inimitable banjo style,
and many people have said what a strong
influence he was on their approach to music.
Patrick Ferryn, a Belgian fan and film director, spent
seven years on a labour of love making a beautiful film
to commemorate the life of Derrol, who died in
Antwerp in February 2000 before the film was
completed. The post production work was enabled by
the assistance of Belgian and Danish television. It
includes many clips that were made of Derrol over
the years, with later interview material in which
Derrol expressed his outlook on life, music and art -
he was a fine painter - and recounted much of his life
story. Many friends in Europe and the USA contribute
to the story, which begins with Derrol’s funeral.
Born in Portland, Oregon in 1925, he learned about
Members Ads
Maximum of 50 words plus contact
details, FREE to members. We drop older
ads to make way for new
UNLESS YOU RENEW YOUR REQUEST
OLD-TIME RECORDINGS - major and
obscure American label CDs. Also, videos and
tune books. SAE to: Eve Morris: 67 Greenway,
Bishops Lydeard, Taunton TA4 3DA. Download
a full catalogue of all items by clicking on Eve’s
advert at the bottom of the
www.foaotmad.org.uk page
TRACE-ELLIOTT BLX 80 BASS
COMBO AMP - Ideal sound for double bass
on stage. Six band graphic equalisation, 2 preshaped
EQs, effects send/return channel, input
and line out sockets. Very true acoustic sound,
160 watt peak output. £200 ONO. Gill
Harrison, phone 01780 450296, e-mail
harrisonix@enterprise.net
SEEKING BANJO TUITION:
frailing/clawhammer teacher wanted,
preferably near Northants/Oxon/Warks
borders but I'm prepared to travel.
Barry Nash 01327 261269 (Daventry)
STILL WANTED! OTN Vol.1, Issue 3 and
Vol.3, Issue 1; also "Old Time Country"
magazines, University of Mississippi, 1980s/90s,
plus many Library of Congress LPs, especially
with Bascom Lamar Lunsford. Also wanted -
records by (Rambling) Jack Elliott on the 77
Label - LP1 & EP2.
John Stoten: 01708 370834 (Romford)
RAY STEWART 1940-2000: there are
still a few of these CDs (Review, OTN 34)
available from Ray's widow: Helen Stewart, 18
Cameron Street, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen,
Scotland AB23 8QB.
MIKE TAVENER - manufacturer and sole
supplier of THE JUMP LEAD, the smart way to
get your acoustic instrument in tune. Only £11
including postage. Buy yours today using
the banjo while serving in the US Navy at the end of
World War II, from sailors raised in the Southern
Appalachians. He obtained his own instrument in 1945
and a touring Pete Seeger showed him how to tune
it. He developed a very distinctive rolling, rhythmic
style, and his singing and playing remind me of
Bascom Lamar Lunsford, the singing lawyer of
Asheville. He soon made his mark, meeting Woody
Guthrie, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, actor Will Geer and
Frank Hamilton in the legendary Topanga Canyon
near Hollywood. After the Korean War he wrote the
famous anti-war “Portland Town” which has been
recorded by many people including Joan Baez and
the Kingston Trio; John Stewart of the Trio
claimed to have written it - but Derrol never saw a
cent from their hit version..
In 1956 he and Ramblin’ Jack came over to Europe to
perform, record and tour, creating a fan base among
lovers of skiffle. Elliott returned home after 4 years,
but Derrol made his home in Belgium and married
Danny, a lovely Belgian lady. His regular hangout, the
Café Welkom in Brussels seems to have been the
European home of Old Time music for a long time.
He teamed up with folksinger Ferré Grignard in
Antwerp in 1967.
Derrol made an impression on some well-known folk
musicians. Allan Taylor, Wiz Jones, Donovan and
Finbar Furey all independently wrote songs about
him and perform them on this film with their thoughts
Paypal: mysite.freeserve.com/thejumplead
Also supplier of replacement Ashbory G & D
String. Buy yours using Paypal:
mysite.freeserve.com/ashborystring
RECORDS, TAPES and CDs for sale -
old-time, early country music, early bluegrass
and a couple of contemporary bluegrass items.
With only a couple of exceptions, all items £5
each. Send SAE for a list to: Andy Imms, 19
Springfield Road, Pamber Heath, Tadley,
Hampshire RG26 3DL
or email: guitar@imms12.wanadoo.co.uk
HEDY WEST: I'm looking for anything
connected with this artist - recordings,
information, publicity, articles. Chris Taylor
(evenings) 01458 447865 (Som.)
1921 GIBSON A2 MANDOLIN -
excellent, all original, including pickguard/ohsc,
trussrod. Loud/sweet/lovely. £1650. • 1922
GIBSON Lloyd Loar Snakehead A-model
mandolin - all original, fantastic condition
except no pickguard. Fine musician's
instrument, loud and choppy. OHSC. £2400.
Bob Matthews 01626 352007 (S. Devon)
TWO OPEN-BACK BANJOS: Windsor
"Popular" circa 1910. 11" head, geared tuners,
frailer's scoop, Shubb 5th string capo, 28
cleats. Excellent instrument, professionally
gigged for 5 years. £350ono. Richard Spencer
circa 1895. 10" head, geared tuners, 30 cleats,
armrest, 5th string capo, nice inlay. Rare,
beautiful instrument in excellent condition.
£300 ono. Derek Brimstone 01442 264924
(Herts)
BANJO FOR SALE: Goldtone Elite Classic
open back. New, with case. Abalone inlay Tree
Of Life, with brass spun over maple pot.
£495.00. Contact Jim Allen: 01568 750546 or
email jim@bockleton.fsnet.co.uk
John Grey 5 string banjo, brass resonator,
Original condition c1947 £550
Windsor popular 2 5 string banjo, wooden
on his life. Others who speak fondly about him include
Arlo Guthrie, Frank Hamilton and Pete Seeger.
The film is beautifully made, is mostly in English and
conveys a real idea of what Derrol was all about. I saw
Derrol perform in 1972, and bought an LP “Portland
Town” which I treasure. Old friends had told me about
a wonderful time spent with him busking in Brussels in
the 60s, and the film confirmed and illustrated my
ideas of Derrol as a person.
I received this slightly faulty DVD (it gives several Read
Error messages) in September from M. Ferryn who
told me it was a ‘work’ copy which was not yet on
sale, but that he was working on a saleable DVD with
bonus material, so keep your eyes open for it - it’ll be
worth it.
Ray Banks
Caboose Productions: patrick.ferryn@skynet.be
resonator £200
Oakwood Hammer Dulcimer £400
Eko 12 string £99
Ring Pennie Gillis at 01902 340844
Email: penni@care4free.net
SESSION NEEDED: Do you know of an Old
Time session anywhere near Dudley in the
West Midlands, or would you like to help me
start one? Ring Yvonne Parkes 01902 570285
BANJOS FOR SALE
Cole ‘Eclipse’ 3000, 5-string, ‘Man in the
Moon’ and other engraved inlays. 1890’s,
(serial no 1870). Skin head, elite tailpiece and
armrest. Hard case. Super historic banjo in
very good condition. £1395 ono.
Gold Tone Travel/ A-scale 5-string. USA made,
open back. Maple with rolled brass tone ring
and pearl diamonds in neck. Armrest. Super
condition. Geared pegs added. Custom gig bag.
£195 ono.
Gretsch 5-string. Serial no 5321. Simple banjo
in excellent condition. Vega-style armrest.
Serviceable chipboard case. Suitable for a
beginner. £75 ono.
Contact Bob Ward on 01353 741640.
STILL WANTED (SO PLEASE KEEP
PHONING)
Clifford Essex banjo in good condition for
frailing/clawhammer player in SE London area.
Will come reasonable distance to view. Will
pay cash for the right one.
Malcolm 0208 291 3359
NYLGUT BANJO STRINGS
Excellent tone, good volume, feels like gut,
easy on nails!
Standard Banjo: £6.50 per set, inc. p&p
Minstrel Banjo, heavy gauge for open E or D
tunings: £7.00 per set, inc. p&p
Cheque or cash to Barry M. Murphy, Dormers
Farmhouse, Windmill Hill, Nr Herstmonceux,
East Sussex BN27 4RY
email: barry.m.murphy@btinternet.com

Old Time News Spring 2006 Issue 45 11
Stacey Banjos
19 Field Lane • Letchworth • Herts • SG6 3LF
Banjos with the look, the feel, the sound
and the playability
Classic Era Model £1350
elegant engraved pearl inlays in peghead and fingerboard
• flamed maple neck with bound ebony fingerboard
• two-way adjustable truss rod
• laminated maple rim
• the very best hardware selected from various suppliers
• ‘Whyte Laydie’ tone ring for fantastic tone and volume.
Gainsborough Special Model £1050
engraved ‘moon’ peghead inlay
• pearl position markers
• reinforced mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard
• laminated maple rim, 11 or 12 inches diameter
• Stacey ‘Free Energy’ tone ring.
OPTIONS
All models can be customised.
• ebony or Grenadillo tone ring.
• neck width to suit your preference.
• left handed neck.
• ‘frailers scoop’ in fingerboard.
• fretless neck with brass or ebony fingerboard
I usually have a selection of top quality vintage rims in
stock for which a neck can be custom built
Call me on 01462 683 074

Old Time News Spring Issue 45 12
FOAOTMAD May Day(s)
Weekend Camp
April 27th - May 3rd 2006
Sewerby Hall, Bridlington
Entrance to the Hall and grounds is free to Foaotmad musicians, dancers and friends from the
afternoon of Thursday 27th till the morning of Wednesday 3rd. We can put our tents, caravans,
RVs in a signed reserved wooded area with places for campfires. We are welcome to sit and play
tunes or dance all weekend in wonderful surroundings - parkland, gardens, children's play areas,
animal enclosures - on the edge of the sea. If it rains we have the Orangery (shown) or a covered
band stand and many seated shelters. A dance floor will be brought - there should be at least two
dance teams.
There's a Road Train to take you into Brid and back during the day, a nearby welcoming pub (The
Ship) with real ale and food and a nearby restaurant (The Old Forge). The landlord of the Ship has
offered a side room that seats around 36 and has room for a dance floor in the center. The Hall
holds the Amy Johnson Collection. There are nesting puffins and gannets within three miles on the
Bempton sea cliffs (RSPB site).
There are loos but no showers this year.
Details from:
John Yeaman - 01482 871466 David Dry - 01833 637469
Directions
Don’t go in the main gate or the main car park. In Sewerby, find the Ship inn, which is on
Main Street and Church Lane. Go through the car park towards the sea, till you can turn
left on to a tarmac track. Follow this till you can enter a gate into the Hall grounds. Turn
right and camp behind our banner 200 yards further on. This should all be signposted.